Connecting your Ethernet-ready entertainment devices to your network just got easier thanks to the TrendNet TEW-680MB 450Mbps Dual Band Wireless N HD Media Bridge ($125.99 list). This small Wi-Fi device comes up big in terms of performance and features. It supports throughput speeds of 450Mbps on both the 2.4 and 5GHz bands and connects wirelessly to your existing Wi-Fi router. It has four Ethernet ports so you can bring internet-ready devices such as HDTVs, Blu-ray players, and gaming consoles online quickly and without the need for long cables runs. Although it cost around $25 more than the Linksys WES610N, it offers faster downstream speeds and features gigabit Ethernet ports, and it comes with a three-year warranty. Its upstream transmission rate could be better, though.

Specs and DesignThe TEW-680MB will fit nicely into most home entertainment centers. At 5.3 by 2.4 by 4.6 inches (HWD) it is slightly smaller than the Linksys WES610N but much less obtrusive; the WES610N's flashing blue LED activity lights are way too bright and distracting, while the TEW-680MB's lights are much smaller and go largely unnoticed. The cabinet is done up in a sleek piano black finish with Trendnet and Greennet logos on both side panels (Greennet technology claims to use up to 70 percent less power at the port). Front LED lights include four Ethernet port indicators, power and wireless status lights, and a WPS (wireless protected setup) light. A silver WPS button can be found on the top of the case. Rear connections consist of four Ethernet ports (gigabit) and a power jack, and there's a reset button on the bottom of the base.

SetupThe TEW-680MB comes with a quick install guide, a resource CD, a power adapter, and a ridiculously short (24-inch) Ethernet cable. Both the quick start guide and the use guide instruct you to connect the bridge to a PC for its initial setup and use the browser utility to enter SSID and security settings. This works perfectly and is fairly intuitive but it's not as quick as the Linksys WES610N's WPS procedure. In fact, I did use the WPS button method (pressing the router's WPS button and then the bridge's WPS button) and it worked flawlessly, but since TRENDnet sets the default IP to static I was unable to find the bridge's IP address and it didn't show up in my DHCP client table. You'll need the IP address to access the utility, so if you're going to use the TEW-680MB up as a DHCP client I'd suggest using the printed instructions and make sure you change the IP setting to DHCP. You can then use WPS from the utility menu or enter your own WEP, WPA, or WPA2 security information and passphrase.

In addition to SSID and security settings the browser-based utility lets you set up custom wireless profiles for access to different networks, including security settings for each profile. You can also connect to a wireless network by using the site survey utility and selecting a network from the list. The Link Status page provides radio channel, link quality, and signal strength information, and the Statistics page gives you send and receive transmission data, including frames successfully transmitted and frames dropped. Other settings include QoS options (Best Effort, Background, Video, and Voice) and Administrator tools that let you change the password, update firmware, and view system and network configuration information.

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About the Author

As a Contributing Editor for PCMag, John Delaney has been testing and reviewing monitors, TVs, PCs, networking and smart home gear, and other assorted hardware and peripherals for almost 20 years. A 13-year veteran of PC Magazine's Labs (most recently as Director of Operations), John was responsible for the recruitment, training and management of t... See Full Bio

Trendnet TEW-680MB 450Mbps Dual Band Wireless N HD ...

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